Corner bead for plastering



Sept. 17, 1929. C, wo co-r-r I 1,728,461

CORNER BEAD FOR PLASTERING Filed June 15, 1925 ymw Patented Sept. 17,1929 i UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE FRANK G. WOLCOTT, OF LOS ANGELES,CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOIB-OF THIRTY-FIVE ONE- HUNDREDTHS TO A. A. MIGHELETTICORNER BEAD FOR rnas'rnnme Application filed June 15, 1925. Serial 1T0.37,019.

This invention relates generally to corner beads, that is, devicesforming gages or guides for finished plaster facings at corners or otherexposed edges of building struc- 5 tures, the devices also serving toreinforce and protect such edges after the. plaster has set.

It is the principal object of the invention to provide a comparativelyinexpensive bead which is capable of practically universal application.Usual beads are of such a nature that they cannot be readily andsmoothly bent to follow the curves of arched or irregular openings. Itis the custom to notch or otherwise mutilate such beads when they areabout to be applied to any opening having a curve or bend in it. Thisis, of necessity, a troublesome, time consuming task and fails to givethe smooth, even bends and 0 curvatures desirable.

However, my bead has such characteristics 'th t 't a be easil and uicklbent to I a 1 m y y q y tween the device, as a' whole, and thatparfollow an outline of any reasonable curvature or bend, this withoutin any way weakening the bead by mutilation or requiring the use ofspecial tools. The characteristics rendering possible such manipulationmay be discussed to better advantage in the following detaileddescription.

My bead has a further advantage in that certain parts of it"provideconvenient gage points whereby proper positioning of the device isfacilitated, that is,'the bead may be readily lined up atthe junctionpoint of 5 two wall surfaces so it is at standard distance from each.

I also provide the key portions of the bead with apertures which allowthe ,passage of plaster thereinto or therethrough, thus giving theeffect of a plaster lock.

I As a further feature, the bead may be applied, without alteration, toform a plaster guide and protector for rounded corners.

Other objects and novel features of the invention will be apparent fromthe following detailed specification, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of one em-' bodiment of my invention asapplied to a corner structure; a Fig. 2 is a perspective view ofavariant form of the device;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged section on line 3-3 of Figs. 1 or 2;

At the outset, I wish to state that I will not attempt to exhaust themany possible applications of my improved head, but such examples as Ishall give will make it apparent to those skilled in the art that thedevice is capable of application in any. reasonable situation met by theplasterer.

In order to distinguish more readily betieular portion which is curledaround to form the bead, proper, I will refer to the device, generally,as a corner guard. However, it will be understood that the guard has allthe functions of what is commonly known as a corner bead as to gagingthe plaster thickness at the corner and as a corner finishing piece, theterminology being chosen merely for purposes of clarity.

In Fig. 1, guard 10 is shown applied to laths A and B where they join atthe corner edge of opening-defining walls.

The guard is made u of a sheet metal strip, having somewhat exiblecharacteristics though rigid enough to hold its shape, rolled over toform a hollow, cylindrical bead 11. However, the invention, consid- 9ered in its broader as ects, is not limited to a bead thus formed, fbrit may of different cross-section than that shown. For instance,

' it may be solid rat-her than tubular, or it may be of square ortriangular cross-section. Preferably, a somewhat flexible reinforcingwire l2-is passed through the bead bore. the bead being closed upon thewire with suflicient force to position it.

The head is provided at spaced intervals with extensions to serve asmeans for supporting the head from the wall in proper spaced relationfor the plastering and these extensions may conveniently be made aslateral extensions of the metal strip from which the bead was formed.

The extensions comprise two portions 13 and 14, one of which, 13, servesto properly space the bead which may be herein referred to as the keyand the other, 14, serves as an attaching tab. The key is preferablymade of two portions, 16 and 17, bent as at 15 at right angles to eachother and parallel respectively to the two walls to which the bead is tobe attached, and all of those portions 16 which join the bead lie in thesame plane. By reason of this construction, since the projectionsthemselves are of greater flexibility than the bead, it will be clearthat the flexibility of the bead, perpendicular to the plane of theportion 16 is not interfered with, and, furthermore, by reason of thespaced relation of the projections, the bead will possess a certainflexibility in the said plane.

The two portions of the key will be such as to efi'ect the properspacing of the bead from the wall. In the form illustrated in Fig. 1,the attaching tabs 14 are themselves all in a single plane at rightangles to one of the portions as 17 of the key. This enables a corner tobe established from either wall only even though the other wall besubject to very considerable irregularities.

' In the modification illustrated in Figure 2, the attaching tabs ofalternate projections are at right angles to each other, certain ofthese tabs 14 extending as prolongations of the adjacent portions 17 oftheir respective projections to effect this end. In this modification,the projecting tabs themselves define the position of the corner beadsfrom the position of both of the intersecting walls and thus serve as aconvenient gauge for the setting of the corner bead. Portions 16 and 17of the key may be apertured as at 19 to allow entrance of the plasterthrough the apertures to serve as locks to the plaster. By reason of thefact that the projections are much more flexible than the bead itself,they may readily accommodate themselves to irregularities in the surfaceto which they are to be attached, as for example, should a lath bethicker or thinner than the average, without a corresponding distortionin the position of the bead itself.

In Fig. 5 is illustrated the application of a corner bead-to't-he makingof a rounded corner. In this utilization of the invention, one of theforms of the device illustrated in Fig. 1 is preferably employed.

By reversing the extension, however, of a portion of the key it may becaused to extend inwardly past the corner as clearly shownin Fig. 5,rather than outwardly as in a .normal corner construction. If desired,2.

second bead may be similarly situated at right angles to the first withits projections alternating with the projections of the first so thatboth terminals of the corner curve may be protected. This use of thecorner bead not only serves as a gauge to which the two flat faces ofthe plaster may be trued,

but also serves as a gauge from which the corner curve itself may beformed.

In Figs. 6 and 7, is shown the application of the device to an arch inwhich the plane of those portions of the key whichare directly attachedto the bead is curved to conform to the arch. With this corner bead theouter surface of an arch may be trued to an accuracy greater than thatof the lath framework itselfsince the flexibility of the projectionspermits them to be bent to accommodate themselves where necessary.

It is believed a full understanding of the invention will be had fromthe foregoing, but it will be understood the drawings and descriptionare to be considered merely illustrative of and not restrictive on thebroader claims appended hereto, for various changes in design, structureand arrangement may be made Without departing from the spirit and scopeof said claims.

I claim:

1. A device of the class described comprising a corner bead bendable inany direction without distortion, and having integral Wall attachingmeans, all of which are spaced apart and which when attached to a wallprevent bending of said bead. I

2. A device of the class described comprising a bendable bead in theform of a readily pliable longitudinal member having a number of wallattaching lugs which are separated from each other, said bead beingbendable in any direction at any point in its length to meet differentconditions without distorting the same or rendering it unfit for use andwithout necessitating readjustment of said attaching lugs for theirattachment to the wall.

3. A device of the class described, comprising a continuous piece ofpliable wire, a thin strip of flexible metal bent into tubular formaround said wire and having its longitudinal edges arranged within theplane of said tube whereby the metal tube can be bent at anyangle, andspaced wall attaching tabs extending integrally from a free longitudinaledge of said tube.

4. A device of the class described comprising a bead having attachinglugs extending therefrom, alternate lugs each having a compound bend,and the other lugs each having only a single bend.

5. A device of the class described comprising a bead, attaching lugsextending therefrom in the same plane, alternate lugs each having atransverse compound curve. and the other lugs having only one bendwhereby alternate lugs are disposed at an angle to the other lugs, andall of the lugs being provided with key portions.

6. A device of the class described comprising ,a bead, attaching tabsextending therefrom, said tabs being bent in the same direction in thesame plane, alternate tabs being bent a second time in a different planeand adapted to be arranged with said second bend substantially flushwith a corner to which the device is to be attached.

7. A device of the class described comprising an elongated bead havinglongitudinally spaced transverse extensions, provided with attachingtabs, the spaces between the extensions being at least as great as thewidth of said extensions whereby a second device may be associated withsaid first device with its tabs extending through the spaces between thetabs of the first device and the beads of the twodevices arranged inparallelism.

8. A corner guard comprising a bead portion bendable without distortionin all directions, spaced apart projecting lugs extending outwardlytherefrom in a single plane, said lugs being relatively more flexiblethan the bead whereby they may be adjusted to irregularities withoutdistorting the head.

.9. A corner guard comprising a bead portion, separately projecting lugsextending outwardly therefrom in a single plane, said lugs beingindependently flexible and carrying attaching tabs for attachment to thewall lying in a plane parallel to said first men tioned plane, said tabsand lugs being spaced from each other. a

10. A corner guard comprising a bead portion bendable withoutdistortion, separately projecting supporting lugs extending outwardltherefrom all of said supporting lugs for said bead portion lying in asingle plane, certain of said lugs being bent to provide a parallelofi'set portion to serve as a means of attachment.

11. A corner bead comprising a strip having extensions on one side toform attachmg lugs and having the remainder of said strip foldedlongitudinally to form a corner bead, all of said attaching .lugs at thepoint of attachment to the corner bead lying in a first planesubstantially, parallel to one of the walls forming the corner to' whichthe guard is attached in operative position and said lugs having theirends used for attach ment to the wall bent into a second plane 'parallelto and spaced from said first plane.

12. A corner guard comprising a strip having extensions on one side toform attaching lugs and having the remainder of said strip foldedlongitudinally to form a corner bead, all of said attaching lugs at thepoint of attachment to the corner bead lying in a single plane, saidlugs having their ends bent in alternation into two intersect ing planesneither of which includes the corner head to serve as a means forattachment to said corner, one of said planes lying substantiallyparallel to the plane of said .lugs

at tihe point of attachment to said corner 13. A corner guard comprisinga bead portion bendable without distortion in all directions, separatelyprojecting lugs extending outwardly therefrom to serve as a means ofattachment, said lugs having attaching portions lying in differentplanes, said planes intersecting in a line spaced from and parallel tothe bead, and all of said lugs being attached to the head by a flatportion substantially parallel to one of said planes.

14;. A device of the class described including a laterally flexiblecorner bead having attaching lugs, all of the supporting lugs for saidbead having the portions thereof adjacent to the bead disposed in asingle plane positioned-substantially perpendicular to a plane in whichthe bead is bent when applied to a curved corner.

15. A device of the class described including a laterally flexiblecorner bead having a series of longitudinally spaced fiat extensionsproviding attaching lugs, each having flat key portions integrallyadjoining the head, all of the flat key portions for the bead lying in asingle plane substantially perpendicular to a plane in which the bead isbent laterally when applied to a curved corner and the parts of saidhead between said lugs being tubular so as to be laterally flexible inall directions.

16. A device of the class described including a strip having extensionson one side .to form attaching lugs and having the remainder thereofbent to form a tubular corner bead, all of the attaching lugs for thecorner bead at the points of attachment to said bead lying in a singleplane disposed in substantially parallel relation with the plane of oneof the walls to which the guard is attached, adjacent lugs beinglongitudinally spaced apart, said tubular bead intermediate said lugshaving the strip edges lying in substantially abutting relation in theperiphery of the tube so as-to facilitate lateral flexure.

17. A corner bead having attaching and supportinglugs each with asupporting key, all of the upporting keys for said head havingsectionsthcreof lying in one plane par allel to and spaced from saidbead and certain ofsaid keys having key extensions at an angle to saidfirst plane.

18. A corner bead having attaching and supporting lugs each'with asupporting key, all of the supporting keys for said head having thesections thereof adjacent to the bead lying in one plane and certain ofsaid keys having a bend therein forming angularly disposed key sectionsadapted to be attached to a wall in substantially parallel relation tosaid first plane.

19. A corner bead having attaching and supporting lugs each with asupporting key, all of the supporting keys for said bead having thesections thereof adjacent to the bead lying in one plane and certain ofsaid keys having a bend therein forming angularly disposed key sections,while others of said keys lie wholly in the respective planes of saidsections adjacent the bead.

- In witness that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto subscribed myname this 26 day of May, 1925.

FRANK C. WOLCOTT.

